Cycle Speedway

The track at Spencer Park has already been mentioned earlier in the thread. It was on the far side from Spencer Avenue, near the railway embankment. It was one that we would go and ride occasionally during school holidays. We spent many days at the various tracks, and even had our own portable elasticated starting gate to take with us. Our usual haunts were Brandon, Hearsall Common and Whitley Common but we did go to Spencer Park and one or two others occasionally. Our preferred one was Brandon as it was a small, tight track for close racing, whereas Whitley was quite large and seemed to be more an endurance race.

I used to watch the Courthouse Cobbers in the early 1950's, I also have copy of a aerial photo of Courthouse Green taken by the RAF on the 9th of June 1953 which shows the cycle track, most of the cycles had cow horn handle bars. One meeting of the Cobbers v The Red House Lions would draw a big crowd, Mr Fenton in Tackford Road had two sons who rode for the Cobbers would run a very long garden hose to the edge of the track from his back garden and douse the riders in the last heat. Any forum members interested in the aerial photo can obtain a copy from The National Monument Records in Swindon film no sop/225 frame no vp4 0118.

First 2017 home match due on 12th March.

Coundon 12. Hi Dave, long time no speak. Just noticed your post from way back and saw the cycle speedway message where we use to ride with the late Les Owen. Also fond memories of the Gaumont on a Saturday morning then walking to the bakery at Hilltop, buying a small but still warm loaf, scooping out the middle and then walking to Fishy Moore's and filling the carcase with chips to eat on the number 5 bus going home. Drop me a line MATE. I have looked for you for ages on all sorts of social media sites to no avail. Mick

Hi. I rode for the Devon Witches, we had quite a good set of lads running the team & a good track rear of the Devonshire Arms pub, Wyken. From memory we would cut the frame & lower the saddle & we would often swap cogs to get a different gearing for the track of the might. We were not allowed to have: mudguards, gears, rat trap pedals, brakes or fixed wheel cogs, so braking was either a "broggi" or your shoe on the front tyre! Bikes were taken over town by riding one handed with your left hand on the handlebars of your "tracker". I remember the Standard had a good track & team. Ride on!!

Cycle Speedway was still a very popular sport in the mid 1960's. There was a Coventry League, plus there were other leagues all over the country. In the Coventry League in the period between 1964 and 1967 were the following teams, but not all during one particular year. Brandon Bees with a track behind the Coventry bend at the speedway. Earlsdon Hammers with a track in Spencer Park. Whoberley Witches with a track in Hearsall Common. Earlsdon & Whoberley combined to form Coventry Cycle Speedway Club. Whitley Rangers with a track in the park in London Road. Henley Hunters with a track behind Henley College, access from Purcell Rd I think. Keresley Cobras with a track off Norman Place rd. Longford Lions with a track by the canal in Grange Rd. Blackhorse Champs with a track in Blackhorse Rd. They subsequently became Bedworth Champs with a track at Heckley Fields, Exhall. Morris Motors with a track on Stoke Heath Common, near to the back of the Barras Hotel. Attleborough Saints with a track off Raveloe Drive, Attleborough. Long Lawford Lions with a track in Long Lawford. Warwick Blue Diamonds with a track in Linen St, Warwick by the side of the racecourse. Oldbury Lions with a track in Oldbury that was swallowed up by the M5 Motorway. This club was by far the furthest away from Coventry. Coventry Cycle Speedway Club still ride at Hearsall Common but most of the other tracks have disappeared, although you can see a feint image of the Spencer Park track on Google maps, and the Attleborough track is still visible close to Raveloe Drive.